Before the Mohán became the centre of this story, there were a lot of monsters.
For years I kept coming across animations inspired by Japanese, Nordic, Irish, Mexican and other mythologies, and wondering why I rarely saw the same treatment given to Colombian folklore. It is so rich and deliciously bonkers that eventually I felt I had to at least try.
So I started sketching my way through its collection of ghosts, spirits and creatures: La Patasola, La Madremonte, La Candileja, La Llorona, María la Larga, La Melón, El Silbón, El Sombrerón, La Tunda… the list is endless.
Many of them are meant to scare. Some are the result of tragic events. A lot of them came with stories much darker than the film I wanted to make.
Then I found El Mohán.
A hairy river spirit, magician, troublemaker, smoker, drinker, musician and relentless nuisance to fishermen. Different regions tell very different stories about him, sometimes sinister and sometimes playful. He’s been called a trickster, a shaman and a shape-shifter.
That contradiction gave me “permission” to find my own version, and so the search ended.
I had my monster.
